Ciaran of the Abyss
by Tokyo Express
Summary: Artorias wasn't the only one.
1. Chapter 1

**Ciaran of the Abyss**

**I was inspired by the picture cover for this story. Credits to whomever's picture that was.**

**What if Lords Blade Ciaran was tainted by the Abyss?**

* * *

**_Age of Dark- Anor Londo_**

_The Dark Lord sat in utter silence and in deep thought. The throne room was motionless save for the flapping of various banners hanging high above and the raging wind seeping through cracked windows. The once proud throne representing the sun now represented the rising darkness of the Dark Lord. Beams of white moonlight shined through the cracked windows, providing temporary relief of the closing shadows._

_The once proud and shining halls of Anor Londo where also silent save for the few guards patrolling the once proud citadel. The very halls themselves showed signs of previous struggles. Blood covered every floor and wall in the citadel, making it impossible to maneuver without becoming stained in crimson._

_The citadel itself was not completely cleared by the forces of the Dark Lord and as they moved in deeper, more battles were waged._

_Outside in the city streets, bonfires burned brightly in the darkness of the night. Yet the source of fuel was greatly disturbing to the people who lived under the reign of the Dark Lord._

_**Bodies**._

_They were piled higher and higher until they started falling off each other. The height of the mountain of bodies easily eclipsed any man into an obscure shadow. These were the ones were considered traitors and failed to conform to authority of the Dark Lord._

_They weren't the only ones burning though._

_The bodies of the once proud protectors and knights of the golden city also laid in the pyre, burning along with the others. A cloud of black smoke was rising into the heavenly sky above and painted the moon a bright crimson._

_This was the vision of the Dark Lord, a world ruled without opposition nor defiance._

_Yet something was on stuck in his thoughts, a thought that brought out his insatiable curiosity._

_Sudden movement in the pit by his throne snapped him out of his deep thoughts. The black body of a serpent emerged and set it's gaze upon him before bowing._

_"My liege." The serpent greeted._

_The Dark Lord ignored the serpent and let his mind drift back to his previous thoughts. The serpent was no threat to him, just another servant._

_The serpent merely tilted its head in confusion before cautiously saying, "My liege, are you well?"_

_The Dark Lord nodded, slowly stood up and walked by a nearby window to watch the flames far below._

_"A thought has been on my mind for the last few days. I was hoping you could shed light on the subject." The Dark Lord declared._

_The serpent nodded and replied, "Of course my liege, I will answer anything you ask."_

_The Dark Lord turned and walked back to his throne. Each step clanked as the metal armor hit the cold floor._

_"Months ago when I slipped into the rift leading to the past, the experience gave me many things to ponder. But I find myself drawn back to one thing, a person specifically." The Dark Lord said._

_The serpent looked at it's lord before saying, "A person my liege?"_

_"Yes. A woman clad in armor dark as the night and robes the clung to the shadows themselves. I remember each encounter with her perfectly. It always ended as quickly as it began. A golden or silver blade across my throat followed by a glimmer of a white porcelain mask. It was the first time I ever felt fear as an Undead. The woods from what I remember was the worst, I was constantly attacked from the shadows, never knowing where the attack would come. It played with my mind for days as I sat outside the fallen city." The Dark Lord began._

_The Dark Lord took an intake of fresh air, savoring the freshness of it before continuing._

_"I remember she was consumed by the Abyss, I could see the darkness oozing off of her. It was a nightmare fighting her. She growled, screamed, and attacked like some sort of feral beast. Artorias was not nearly as animalistic as she was, then again he was the titled as the Abysswalker. I would assume he would have out up a higher level of resistance."_

_The serpent seemed to smile before it spoke._

_"Ah, you were fortunate enough to see the fabled Lords Blade Ciaran it seems."_

_The Dark Lord tilted his head in interest and as if he was tasting the very words themselves he questioned, "Lord Blade Ciaran?"_

_The serpent let out a brief laugh of amusement before continuing._

_"Yes my liege, one of the four legendary knights of Gywn. Each one famous for their deeds. The Dragonslayer Ornstein slew dragons by the hundreds, Abysswalker Artorias challenge the Abyss head on and managed to emerge victorious, Hawkeye Gough was unmatched in archery. Ciaran however was something else entirely."_

_That piqued the interest of the Dark Lord and he asked, "How so?"_

_The serpent let out another chuckle before continuing._

_"That woman brought down kingdoms and empires with just her blades. All Lord Gywn needed to do was whisper a single phrase and within a week an enemy kingdom would be tearing itself apart from within or thousands would die of deadly diseases due poison in the main food supplies."_

_He paused to let the Dark Lord take in that information before continuing._

_"She was the ultimate assassin. Entire family lines were wiped off the face of existence and doomed to be forgotten. It is often stated that Artorias was the dark knight out of the four, which is true, but personally I feel Lord's Blade Ciaran fit that role much better."_

_The Dark Lord thought for a moment before asking, "Lord's Blade? Is there anything to that or is it just a title?"_

_"It was her position. It was an order of all female assassins that served The Lord of Sunlight. I believe they took their headquarters on the lowest level of this citadel."_

_Suddenly an explosion was heard followed by shaking. The Dark Lord immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and began listening._

_He could hear multiple men shouting and cursing. Most likely his guards._

_As if on queue, one of them ran through the door and fell to one knee as he faced the Dark Lord._

_"Report. What is the disturbance?"_

_The guard answered, "A few of the explosive barrels we were planning on using to break through some of the gates exploded. We have multiple troops dead and many more injured."_

_The Dark Lord raised his brow on confusion and then asked, "Exploded? How?"_

_"My liege, we are unsure of the cause. We speculate that one of the dead soldiers was the cause. The darkness here makes torches necessary so I believe they may have dropped one."_

_That put the Dark Lord on alert, his soldiers didn't just "drop" torches. They were much better trained than that. Something else was at work._

_"Guard return to your duties."_

_"Yes my lord."_

_The serpent glanced at the Dark Lord in curiosity._

_"My liege, is something wrong?"_

_The Dark Lord glanced at the serpent before replying._

_"No. Leave me alone for the night, I wish to be alone."_

_The serpent nodded then slowly disappeared down the hole._

_The throne room was silent save for the clacking of metal against stone as the Dark Lord walked to his throne._

_Instead of sitting, he stood and waited. His armored hand rested on the hilt of his sword._

_He knew what was coming and he would be prepared for them._

_This throne was his now and he would defend until he collapsed_.

* * *

**_Age of Fire- Ooliciale_**

Silver Knight General Romulus, watched the city of Oolacile burn around him. Fires raged in various areas throughout the city, sending black smoke high above into the air. The corpses of the tainted citizens of Oolacile lined the street and formed a pile so large that the knights had climb over some of them.

The Siege of Oolacile had been a success, the corrupted were exterminated and the city was in the process of being cleansed by fire. Despite the obvious victory, he could not bring himself to join the celebration with his fellow knights.

Before the siege, two of Lord Gywn's great knights departed to combat the source of the outbreak. Knight Artorias and Lord's Blade Ciaran left earlier in the morning, before the assault began.

Romulus glanced up to the sky above. The sun was almost below the horizon and the darkness was slowly setting in. Only the bonfires fueled by the corpses of the dead provided refuge from the closing darkness.

However he wouldn't dare order his forces to move into the abyssal cavern far below, especially not with the coming dark. He would have to wait until morning.

As a he walked to give orders to his knights, he felt a sense of dread fill his mind. Something definitely wasn't right.

* * *

Lord's Blade Ciaran slowly crawled through the dark cavern until she finally found a wall she could lean on. Her dark blue robes were torn to shreds in several places, leaving her ebony armor visible. A jagged long crack ran through the center of her porcelain mask while the ivory locks of hair hanging out of her headdress were scattered messily.

The Silver and Gold Tracers lay on the grey floor beside her nearly broken form.

Her muscles screamed in pain with every movement, while her vision began to slightly blur. Slowly the darkness was overwhelming her.

A few meters away, the enormous figure of Artorias was lying face up. Several cracks and dents adorned the once shining armor. His shield was missing, but his mighty sword was sheathed into the grey rock floors.

With great effort, Ciaran pulled herself closer until she reached his cracked chest plate. It was cold to touch but still relieved her when she heard his heart faintly beating.

"I have failed... The Abyss, I can't let it spread..." Artorias whisper hoarsely.

Ciaran looked down at him and whispered,"We failed. The darkness was just too strong, that creature was just too strong."

The Abysswalker lay in silence for a few brief moments. The sound of his breathing became hoarser and much more labored.

"Ciaran... you must leave...warn Lord Gywn of the events that transpired here. Lordran must be ready for the coming darkness..." Artorias whispered to her.

"If I leave Artorias, I intend to bring you with me."

Suddenly the Abysswalker's arm shot out and _grabbed_ her, then pulled her _close_. She struggled in his iron grip for a moment before relaxing as he spoke.

"No, my time is up. I cannot fight much less even move properly. This is not time for your usual antics, so do not argue with me. Lordran must be prepared and you will warn them of the coming threat."

The Lord's Blade bit her lip as she listened to Artorias.

He was right, this was not the time to argue. She was a knight of Lord Gwyn and she would not allow her personal feelings to cloud her judgement, despite how much she hated it.

With a grimace she looked at the dying knight beneath before saying, "Farewell Artorias."

With that she turned on her heel and began limping away. A single tear left her eye as she left her greatest friend behind.

* * *

The darkness engulfed the Lord's Blade Ciaran as she walked the dark caverns of the Abyss. She could feel the influence of the dark pushing against her very soul, trying to corrupt her.

Her will was strong and she would not falter easily.

Suddenly she could feel another presence. Something primal, omnipresent, and powerful. The surrounding darkness seemed to ripple as the unseen foe moved.

Ciaran could feel the earth beneath her tremble slightly with each step it took.

_No where to run now._ A distorted voice whispered.

The Lord's Blade head snapped fiercely around to look for the source of the sound.

_How foolish. You thought you could escape assassin? Always running and hiding, you always were the weakest._

The Lord's Blade growled in frustration. She pulled her places out of their sheaths and took up a defensive stance.

_How does it feel to be the victim this time assassin? Pathetic you're just like an animal when cornered._

Ciaran let out another growl. The voice came from everywhere and she had no way to track it. The voice was just taunting her, mocking her and try in to pick her apart.

_The Abyss will always try to break you down and drive you to the point of insanity. That's how the corruption starts. It picks at your darkest memories and thoughts. Remember Ciaran, everything just say everything is lie. Do not let it grab hold of you, do not let it damage you. _The voice of Artorias rang in her head.

She remembered that lesson well, it was one of the few times she got to talk to her friend outside of missions. She cherished that memory as a child would their first gift. It was important and she would need to remember that.

_Fool, the Abysswalker is dead. What chance do you have?_

That struck a nerve.

"Damn it! Show yourself" Ciaran screamed.

The voice pressed its advantage.

_I thought the Lord's Blades did not break the composure. No wonder Artorias ordered you to leave, you're useless._

"That's not true." Ciaran whispered. The corruption began to take hold.

_Tell yourself that. Repeat that phrase as much as you like. It will avail you nothing and just like the Abysswalker, you **will** be mine._

Before Ciaran could reply, she suddenly felt a great pressure take hold of her mind. Something was drilling into her mind. Tearing it apart. Ripping bits and pieces out.

Ciaran fell to her knees gripping her head in agony as the being violated her mind. The excruciating pain caused her to scream and the silver and golden tracers fell to the floor. The signature white porcelain mask fell to the floor also.

_Lord's Blade Ciaran, the top assassin in Lordran. Now you're my top assassin. _The voice hissed.

"Shut up!", Ciaran bit out in between screams.

_The porcelain mask, a gift from Lord Gywn himself is now mine also._

The Lord Blade attempted to stand up in resistance, but she was swiftly planted to the ground as the pressure increased even more and causing her to shriek.

_The famous Knight Artorias? You seem to have had great respect for him. So much potential wasted, you should have made him yours when you had the chance. Now he belongs to me_.

"...No." Ciaran whispered.

Thoughts of the Abysswalker flooded her head and for a brief moment she felt warmth, before it was ripped away.

_You belong to me Ciaran. _The voice seemed to whisper in her ear.

"Stop... It." Ciaran growled back.

_Your body, mind, and spirit are all mine Ciaran. Any emotion, skill sets, and anything else you possessed belong._

Suddenly the Lord's Blade could feel something. To her horror she could see the tendrils of darkness embracing her, **consuming** her and taking hold from the inside.

Suddenly she felt nothing.

"Who am I?" Ciaran asked herself.

Another surge of pain sent her back to her knees.

Then utter blackness greeted her. The being know as Lord's Blade Ciaran was consumed by the Abyss.

* * *

The being once known as Lord's Blade Ciaran rose slowly off the rock surface of the Abyss. Her black armor creaked as she moved upward.

The darkness seemed to be oozing off of her as she came **alive**.

In fragments of her broken mind, she could remember her original purpose.

**Kill**.

The darkness within her seemed to grin widely at the thought.

A few meters away the enormous frame of the Abysswalker stalked toward her with his sword dragging being him.

As they both saw each other they paused.

In both of their fragmented memories they seemed to _remember_ something. A silent agreement of partnership seemed to pass over the two former knights.

Suddenly they heard noise coming from the surface.

An image surfaced into both their mind. Images of an army clad in silver was up above waging war.

Another moment of silence passed before they looked at each other again.

As of on queue they both let out a scream. A primal and terrifying scream that reached the surface.

The Abyss commanded one thing.

It commanded annihilation of the above army.

Without waiting for further orders, they both began to charge to the surface.

Down in the deep caverns below, Primal Man smiled in victory.


	2. Chapter 2

The being once known as Lord's Blade Ciaran silently stalked the blood soaked and desecrated alleyways of the fallen city of Oolicile. The Gold and Silver Tracers hanging loosely in her ebony gauntlets as the former assassin of Gywn limped forward.

Her shredded azure robes clung to her pitch black armor like a shadow. To the naked eye she was a moving black shade, with an eerie cracked white mask scanning the nearby area for prey.

Bodies of former citizens lay in crimson pools of blood, while others were in varying stages of decay. The occasional corpse of silver armored knights would be lying in pieces, it was as if they were attempting a last stand before their forsaken demise. Broken fortification along with some scorch marks from previously casted spells pocketed the streets.

The former assassin's mind was shattered and far beyond any form of repair. The Abyss forced it's way in and corrupted her from within. The penetration of her mind was far from pleasant and what little traces of the former woman shuddered in horror as she remembered the process.

_'So weak...'_ The very little remaining fragments of her former self whispered in an echo that coalesced into a single distorted voice. The voice of a seemingly innocent child.

How very far from the truth. A small giggle would have escaped her lips if she had any control left of her body.

In the nearly black shards of her remaining mindscape, she could faintly make out the shining golden light that represented her former lord far in the distance. His light was barely able to reach her.

'_So warm... my lord, forgiv-'_

Suddenly her body fell to it's knees and her arms began clutching at the place her eyes once were located. A feral and bloodcurdling scream was unleashed from her throat. The scream was distorted and high pitched, bordering on the line of an untamed beast. The darkness in her seemed to dissipate slightly as the light struck her.

A sudden coldness surrounded the immediate area as all forms of wildlife immediately vacated the area. Predators and prey left scrambling to leave or faced merciless annihilation.

The _apex_ predator was finally in their midst.

In the confines of her shattered mindscape, a dark haze swept though and blocked all traces of light and preventing any chance at purification from the blackness. The Abyss would never allow the loss of such a potential pawn so easily.

In the distance she could hear the faint clanking of armored boots along with voices shouting. The sound was getting closer and the orange glow of lit torches was drawing near.

'_**Life**_**_..._**' A faint voice faintly whispered into the shattered fragments of Ciaran.

As if she was obeying a suggestion, she looked up.

The sight before her brought pain to her eyes again and a low growl was let out. She saw groups of silver armored knights approaching in the distance. The brilliantly shining fire of their souls hurt her eyes, not nearly as much as her former lord but enough to cause her aggravation.

Suddenly her head was seemingly forced to gaze upon the group of knights. Another feral growl escaped her throat.

'**_Destroy them.'_** The voice of the Abyss commanded.

The abyssal blackness in her soul surged forward and washed the fragments of the old Ciaran away.

A sudden wave of rabid blood thirst descended rapidly upon the being once known as Ciaran. The taint of the Abyss changed the once proud assassin into nothing more than a wild animal.

The rapidly fading fragments of Ciaran could only watch in horror as the Abyss assumed direct control.

Without hesitation, her body was suddenly sprinting down the poorly lit alleyway with alarming speed. The night air rushed passed her body as she ran. Usually she would feel a sense of cooling relief from the night wind, but now she felt nothing. Her body, soul, and mind was in constant torment as the Abyss threatened to erode all three at once.

Her new tainted eyes easily saw though the veil known as darkness. She was using the light emitted from the angel wing helmed knights as a beacon. They were like a light house. They wouldn't my be able to hide even if they tried.

The black form of Ciaran stopped and stared at the unaware knights below, the Gold Tracer glimmering in the moonlight as it waited to be put to use and the Silver Tracer now dripping with Abyss enhanced poison.

What little remaining fragments of Ciaran could only look on in horror as her body prepared to move and she could only think,'_Don't do this_!'

The Abyss seemed to be smiling wide at her pleas, then it whispered '_**Slaughter**_.'

The body of Ciaran was a blur as she landed in the rear of the rectangular formation of knights. They shifted in surprise as their minds began to register the sudden new presence.

Her blades were already moving by the time they began to reach for their weapons. The Gold Tracer hummed in what seemed as glee for the golden curved short sword. Armor was cut into as the former assassin set out to her work. Torches fell to the floor and were extinguished

A Silver Knight charged her with one of the standard issue spears given to all Silver Knights.

The pointed tip rushed past Ciaran's white mask as she leaned to dodge. With a flourish of her gold blade, she reduced the spear to half of its size. The knight could only stare at his weapon in confusion.

'**_Rip_**.' the Abyss whispered.

While the knight stood confused, Ciaran tackled the man to the ground and shoved the Silver Tracer in his mouth and with sudden ferocity she jerked the blade sideways, out of his throat.

A primal roar escaped her mouth as she watched the knight expire. The other Silver Knights took a step back in caution before rushing her.

'**_Tear_**'

Her golden blade danced seemingly danced as it sliced cleanly through the silver armor. Shrieks and screams of pain answered her dance of death as she moved quickly though the ranks of knights. Limbs and crimson blood stained the street beneath their collective feet.

'_**Crack**'_

One of the Silver Knights grabbed the assassin by the arms and tried to restrain her.

Ciaran only snarled in icy rage and raised her left foot, then kicked behind her.

The kick caused the greaves of the knight to bend inward as the knee behind it snapped forward. Without warning she turned and placed her hands on the knight's neck and pulled. The armored body fell to the floor with the head at a three hundred and sixty degrees.

Before the few remaining knights could react, she slid into the nearby alleyways and melted into the darkness. Her eyes never left the prey.

Three knights remained and the carefully placed their backs against each other while their swords were drawn.

"What the hell was that?" One of them shouted.

The other paused for a moment before one of them replied, "A stronger version of the tainted ones we fought earlier."

"Our priority them should be staying alive so we may call the entire might of the legion to cleanse the demon." One of them said while slightly turning his head to look at the other two knights.

The other two knights merely nodded in response, before they all carefully started their retreat.

The former Lord's Blade merely watched the retreating knights from the shadows.

The blackness within her could only smile in delight as it's new vessel would successfully bring down more of the bearers of light.

Suddenly the darkness's grin grew wider and it released a gleeful laugh.

A dark cackle seemed to escape from escape from the lips of the body of Ciaran. If one were to listen closely enough, the same malicious cackle echoed through out the entire city as the all the remaining corrupted former citizens raised their heads and laughed like maniacs.

A single thought echoed throughout all of their broken minds.

'**_Let them come._**'

The Abysswalker and Lord's Blade would be waiting.


End file.
